“Advertising is a non-moral force, like electricity, which not only illuminates but electrocutes. Its worth to civilization depends upon how it is used.” – J. Walter Thompson

Let me start with an ad that is etched in our memory and we dance to its tunes:

“Dance on the clubboat, a group of party people in the age of 25 -40 years have a glass which seems like water in it. After that music starts in advertisement “be watcha you wanna be” and young people do dance and then the ad closes with Bacardi brand showing bat as their logo and in the end -says cassettes and cds available on SONY.”

This is surrogate advertising. Surrogate advertising means duplicating brand image of one product extensively, in order to promote, another product.

Origin of this trend

Advertising is widely accepted to be the most potent tool in the hand of a marketer. Whether it is to launch a new product, entrench an existing one, educate on the new salient features or create a new market, most consumer products manufacturers orient a considerable amount of time, energy and money to reaching out to existing and potential consumers though various media. Direct advertising of tobacco/alcohol and other products was rampant before the enforcement of tobacco control legislation in India. Billboard advertising of international and domestic brands of cigarettes and chewable forms of tobacco was a common sight. But now all direct advertising of tobacco products in all media has been prohibited with the enforcement of National Legislation. Cable Television Network (Regulation) Amendment Bill,2000, which completely prohibits cigarette and alcohol advertisements, which directly and indirectly promote sale of these products (enacted from September 8, 2000).The ban has spawned a generation of surrogate marketing initiatives as corporations leant to sell without communicating to the consumer.

Trends before the enforcement

Sponsorship of sports events and cultural events by tobacco and alcohol industry.

‘Wills’ (brand of ITC, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco) used to sponsor Indian cricket team/matches.

In this context, one can imagine the predicament of a producer who is mandated to legally produce and stock and then has his hands tied by being denied the right to market the produce. This is a ditch that many liquor and cigarette companies have found themselves in after the enforcement. Most of the large players adapted quickly to introducing what are termed as complimentary products which fell outside the ambit of the Government’s regulation. After the ban imposed on the 12 advertisements identified as surrogates by the Government of India, and the show-cause notices issued to Star TV, Zee TV and Aaj Tak in 2002 under the provisions of the Cable Tele-vision Regulation Act of 2002, the whirlwind of surrogate ads hitting the telly calmed down to a large extent. Advertisers started diversifying and shifted their focus to other advertising avenues which often stretched the concept of brand ex-tension to previously unheard-of levels to perpetuate brand recall among the target audience.

Let me quote some examples.

BRAND

SURROGATE

Seagrams (Alcohol)

Compact discs.

Mc Dowells

Water and Soda

Bagpiper

Water and Soda, Cassettes and Compact discs.

Red and White

Bravery Awards

Bacardi

Cassettes and Compact discs

Kingfisher

Water and Calendar’s

Four Square White

Water Rafting and Gliding

Wills lifestyle

Apparels, Accessories

Goa Gutkha, Pan Parag Gutkha

Pan Masala

Johnny Walker

Soda

502 Pataka

502 Pataka chai

Smirnoff, Aristocrat

Apple Juices

Advertising paan masala/mouth fresheners bearing the same brand name as tobacco products is a common practice. Sponsorship of sports and cultural events is widely being undertaken by alcohol companies in India. “Royal stag” sponsors Indian cricket matches. “Shaw Wallace” sponsored the Indian open golfing event as the Royal Challenge Indian open and the Kenya cricket team. Kingfisher promotes their liquors, beers and whiskies, which constitutes 95% revenues of the UB group, by different strategies like they owned a cricket team ROYAL CHALLENGERS Bangalore and launching India’s costlier calendars which are limited in edition.

One interesting trend which was observed in the mid 2000s was the “socially responsible advertising” taken up by many liquor companies. Several advertisements exhorting viewers to be responsible citizens and refrain from driving after drinking were seen by media analysts as a form of surrogacy.

The Drift between the industry and Government

Government feels that promoting these brands has influence on young minds , recruits new drinkers, increase sales among heavy drinkers. In 2005 Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss alleged that the tobacco industry was directly paying cinema stars to smoke in films. When millions of people give polio drops to their children inspired by Amitabh Bachchan’s appeal, the impact of smoking scenes is not difficult to imagine.

The industry people quote that advertising is only about protecting brand share, not total consumption, and industry self-regulation is the answer for any problems.

Need of the Hour

However the surrogacy in advertising continues in the absence of a strong code by the ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India). The need of the hour is to develop an unambiguous plan of action. Recently, the Information and broadcasting ministry assured that stricter measures of surveillance to identify such advertisements would be put in place. The tobacco and liquor manufacturing lobby has been trying to persuade the government to relax the restrictions on advertising. The following measure will go a long way in easing the deadlock:

The ASCI should have an unambiguous guideline for differentiating acceptable and unacceptable forms of advertising for surrogates. Also it should be empowered to implement the guidelines and issue penalties for non-conformance. The government must look beyond having the cake (the advertising ban) and eating (tax revenues).

Considerably, this post is really the sweetest on this notable topic. I harmonise with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your incoming updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the phenomenal clarity in your writing. I will directly grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. Admirable work and much success in your business dealings! Please excuse my poor English as it is not my first tongue.

Amazing article. I desire you up-to-date your blog significantly more often, I just cannot seem to be to acquire adequate of your blog. I preserved your blog in my bookmarks. Would it be feasible to do a guest post sometime?…

Have you ever considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers more entertained? I mean I just read through the entire article of yours and it was quite good but since I’m more of a visual learner,I found that to be more helpful well let me know how it turns out! I love what you guys are always up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the great works guys I’ve added you guys to my blogroll. This is a great article thanks for sharing this informative information.. I will visit your blog regularly for some latest post.

I am now not certain where you’re getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend a while finding out more or figuring out more. Thank you for excellent info I was searching for this information for my mission.

Nice post. I learn something more difficult on different blogs everyday. It can all the time be stimulating to read content material from other writers and apply slightly one thing from their store. I’d prefer to make use of some with the content material on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll provide you with a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.

Thank god I discovered your site. I have been looking around for hours looking to find this information. keep up the good work! Also I love your over all lookof this blog. I will return. I have bookmarked you.

Hi webmaster, commenters and everybody else !!! The blog was absolutely fantastic! Lots of great information and inspiration, both of which we all need!b Keep ‘em coming… you all do such a great job at such Concepts… can’t tell you how much I, for one appreciate all you do!

I simply couldn’t depart your web site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard information a person provide to your guests? Is going to be back frequently in order to investigate cross-check new posts

Certainly believe that that you mentioned. The perfect cause was online the simplest thing to find out. I explain to you, I definitely get agitated while people think of worries which they clearly do not know concerning. You were hit the nail upon the most notable and explained your whole thing with out side-effect , folks will take a sign. Will probably be back to have more. Cheers

Thank you for another essential article. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a complete way of writing? I have a presentation incoming week, and I am on the lookout for such information.

Good luck getting people behind this one. Though you make some VERY fascinating points, youre going to have to do more than bring up a few things that may be different than what weve already heard. What are trying to say here? What do you want us to think? It seems like you cant really get behind a unique thought. Anyway, thats just my opinion.

I have to admit that overall Im really impressed with this particular site.It is easy to observe that youre enthusiastic about your writing. If only I had your writing ability I anticipate more updates and you will be returning.

When I read a really good post I do some things:1.Forward it to all the close contacts.2.keep it in some of the best social bookmarking sites.3.Be sure to come back to the same site where I read the article.After reading this article I’m really concidering going ahead and doing all 3… Outstanding info. Thanks I added your place of duty to my blog!

This blog is definitely extremely helpful as I’m at the moment setting up an online flower website – however I am only starting out so it’s really quite small, as opposed to your blog. Thx. Lauren Chase

Hello there – I must say, I am happy with your website. I had no problems navigating via all of the tabs and the info was very simple to access. I discovered what I wanted in no time at all. Pretty awesome.

GREAT REVIEW! I agree with all you said in your article, especially at the beggining of your article. Thank you, this info is very valuable as always. Keep up the good work! You’ve got +1 more reader of your blog:) Isabella S.

GREAT REVIEW! I agree with all you said in your article, especially at the end of your article. Thank you, this info is very useful as always. Keep up the good work! You’ve got +1 more reader of your super blog:) Isabella S.

Hi there, i just wanted to drop you a line to say that i thoroughly enjoyed this particular post of yours, I have subscribed to your RSS feeds and have skimmed a few of your posts before but this one really stood out for me. I know that I am just a stranger to you but I figured you might appreciate the appreciation – Take care – and keep blogging.

Together with every little thing that appears to be building inside this subject matter, a significant percentage of viewpoints tend to be rather stimulating. Nevertheless, I beg your pardon, but I do not subscribe to your entire idea, all be it stimulating none the less. It looks to me that your commentary are generally not totally validated and in reality you are generally yourself not really fully certain of the point. In any event I did enjoy looking at it.

Beneficial publish, I just given this onto a fellow employee who was doing a little investigation on this. And he in fact purchased me breakfast mainly simply because I discovered it for him? smile.. So allow me to reword that: Thnx for the deal with! But yeah Thnkx for taking the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly about it and get enjoyment find outing a lot more on this leadingic. If possible, while you produce into expertise, would you mind updating your weblog with added details? It is highly useful for me. Two thumb up for this article!

So i am able to understand this. This can be an sorts of direct which needs to be applied and not only just animal untruths that has been in other good web sites. Have fun with your good enjoying this particular most effectively doctor.

I want to state, wonderful page. I’m unclear in the event it has been dealt with, however when making use of Firefox I can under no circumstances obtain the entire website to be able to heap with no relaxing numerous occasions. Might be my personal modem.

Thanks for every one of your hard work on this site. My niece enjoys conducting investigations and it’s really easy to see why. A number of us notice all of the powerful way you provide very helpful suggestions via this web site and as well increase contribution from other ones on that area then our favorite daughter is truly studying a whole lot. Take advantage of the remaining portion of the new year. You have been conducting a fabulous job.

An fascinating discussion is value comment. I feel that it’s best to write more on this subject, it might not be a taboo subject however generally people are not sufficient to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers

There are some attention-grabbing points in time in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There may be some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we would like extra! Added to FeedBurner as nicely

We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
Your web site provided us with valuable information to work
on. You’ve performed an impressive task and our entire group might be thankful to you.

Advertising is widely accepted to be the most potent tool in the hand of a marketer. Whether it is to launch a new product, entrench an existing one, educate on the new salient features or create a new market, most consumer products manufacturers orient a considerable amount of time, energy and money to reaching out to existing and potential consumers though various media. Direct advertising of tobacco/alcohol and other products was rampant before the enforcement of tobacco control legislation in India. Billboard advertising of international and domestic brands of cigarettes and chewable forms of tobacco was a common sight. But now all direct advertising of tobacco products in all media has been prohibited with the enforcement of National Legislation. Cable Television Network (Regulation) Amendment Bill,2000, which completely prohibits cigarette and alcohol advertisements, which directly and indirectly promote sale of these products (enacted from September 8, 2000).The ban has spawned a generation of surrogate marketing initiatives as corporations leant to sell without communicating to the consumer.

Follow Us

About Welingkar

“The illiterate of this century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” - Alvin Toffler

At Welingkar, we are deeply inspired by these words of this great American writer and futurist. Undoubtedly, being convinced of the need for a radical change in management education, we decided to tread the path that leads to corporate revolution...Read More>>